1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pegboard type racks for displaying merchandise and more particularly to improved locking devices for attaching to the pegs for securely holding merchandise on the pegs until the locking device is released by a sales clerk.
2. State of the Art
It is well known to display merchandise by placing the merchandise on cards that are hung on pegs or rods extending outwardly from a pegboard. Displaying of merchandise in such a manner is desirable in that it enables the customer to observe the merchandise and select from items of interest prior to actually purchasing the item. However, merchandise so displayed is subject to pilfering, and store owners have had to avoid such displays with shoplift prone items.
A search of the prior art found that there had been many attempts at modifying pegboard display racks to reducing the pilfering of merchandise therefrom. Various elaborate schemes for securing merchandise to a display rack are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,211,408; 3,481,482; 3,827,569; 3,850,300; 3,934,727; 4,026,415; and 4,474,300. In addition, a device for locking a helmet to a bar of a motorcycle or bicycle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,271, and a device for locking to the prongs of electrical plugs is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,416. A device for locking a pair of snow skis together is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,409.
The prior art fails to show a simple locking device that can be attached to the peg or rod to prevent removal of an item from a pegboard type display. It would be highly desirable to have such a simple locking device that can quickly be unlocked by the clerk to remove an item from the peg or rod when it is to be sold, with the locking device readily relocked on the peg or rod to deter unwanted pilfering of items from the peg or rod.
3. Objectives
A principal objective of the invention is therefore to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive locking device that can be attached to a single peg or rod of a pegboard type display to prevent unwanted removal of an item from the peg or rod.
A particular objective of the present invention is to provide such a locking device that can be quickly and easily removed from the peg or rod by a sales clerk when an item is to be sold and then just as quickly and easily replaced on the peg or rod to deter pilfering of items from the peg or rod when the clerk is not present.